Šaban Alili

“We ate everything and anything; whatever we had, we ate.”

Padinska skela, Belgrade suburb, Serbia, 2025

He is the head of a large household from Padinska Skela. From his childhood, he remembers simple dishes like mashed potatoes and semolina porridge, recalling with a smile: ‘You ate what you had, and what you didn’t have, you couldn’t eat anyway.’ He highlights beans, rice, and meat as the staple foods of the 1990s and 2000s. During celebrations, especially Kurban-bajram, they prepare meat, salads, cakes, pies, barbecue, sarma, stuffed peppers, and most importantly, lamb. Cabbage is prepared seasonally, during the winter. Music traditionally accompanies food preparation, with modern tracks by Erdžan Đemaji being a particular favorite. Among the richer, meatier dishes, he singles out ‘maas’ (meaning meat in Romani) and ‘bakrano’, alongside vegetable and beef salads. Halva, pies, fruit, and other items are typically served at funerals. Here, unlike in other regions, food is not brought to the cemetery; instead, three days later, women pour water over the graves. The dishes he prepares include paprikash, cabbage, beans, and lamb cooked under a baking bell (sač). When it comes to traditional Roma music, his absolute favorite is the singer Šaban Bajramović, after whom he was named. A key specialty of Padinska Skela consists of pepper-based dishes, which are a staple in daily nutrition.

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Original language: Serbian/Romani